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School closings

As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.

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Catalyst Notebook

Thursday, May 27, 2010 - 7:42am

In the News: Race to the Top support, salaries online

By: John Myers

Chicago Public Schools officials have posted salary information for all teachers and staff. (Gapers Block)

Ben Joravsky notes that there are 133 administrators making more than $100,000 a year. (Chicago Reader)

* Schools Chief Ron Huberman promised parents that funding for full-day kindergarten programs would be prioritized if extra state funds materialize. (Medill)

* Huberman also provided a progress report on the district’s anti-violence initiative during yesterday’s Board meeting.

Related: more from the Sun-Times on violence prevention and WBEZ has posted unfiltered audio.

* CPS tells Gender JUST that it will establish a grievance procedure for students who have been threatened or attacked. (Windy City Times)

* Funding restored for Barbara Vick Early Childhood Center. (Southtown Star)

* Eric Zorn digs through Tribune archives to highlight promising strategies used by Urban Prep. (Tribune)

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Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 7:34pm

Huberman claims progress in creating "culture of calm" in schools

By: Sarah Karp
Tags: high schools, high schools

Fifty fewer CPS students have been shot and 10 fewer killed this school
year, according to Chicago Public Schools officials.

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Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 7:34am

In the News: borrowing approved, teachers march

By: John Myers

Teachers marched downtown yesterday to protest budget cuts. (Sun-Times)

Related: Greg Hinz says it’s unclear which teachers devised the plan.

* Perspectives says nearly all of its graduating class is headed to college. The charter will mark the milestone tomorrow with a celebration.

* Urban Prep, which is sending every graduate to college in the fall, celebrated the feat with a mock signing day for seniors. (Tribune)

* The House found key votes last night to approve Gov. Pat Quinn’s $4 billion borrowing plan and setup a convoluted budget. (Tribune)

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Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 4:00pm

Chicago youth learn to make movies, stay in school

Tags: high schools, high schools

Former dropout Tyrese Jackson left Farragut High School at age 17,
served a brief time in jail and then enrolled in an alternative school
the next year.

Taking part of in a film class gave him a better way to spend his
time, he says. “Now I don’t like being around people who have me doing
negative things,” says Tyrese, who is now a junior at the Academy of
Scholastic Achievement.

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Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 12:31pm

New requirements make it tougher to become a teacher in Illinois

By: Rebecca Harris
Tags: teachers

Just as Illinois overhauls principal training, similar changes are on the horizon for teachers.

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Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 7:19am

In the News: budget protests, new special ed administrator

By: John Myers

Chicago Public Schools has tapped Richard Smith to serve as the new head of the Office of Specialized Services. (Tribune)

* Chicago students gathered in Daley Plaza to study and send lawmakers a clear message on school funding cuts. (Tribune)

* Schools Chief Ron Huberman has been named Doctor of Humane Letters from the Institute for Clinical Social Work. (Press release)

* A $1.2 million Walmart Foundation grant will put solar panels on 20 schools across the country, including four in Chicago. (Press release)

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